Seniors at Rhinelander High School learn how to create businesses, choose CEOs

Submitted: 10/30/2013

Rhinelander - Most high school seniors get excited about graduating.

But more than 100 students from Rhinelander High School spent Wednesday getting excited about starting businesses.

The Mini Business World program helps students give an old business a new-age makeover.

The program is designed to give students a fresh look at their futures.

Steven Benzschawel is the director of Wisconsin Business World Program.
He wants to make sure students have all the information they need to become entrepreneurs.

"The number one most important thing is confidence--self-confidence. {Students should} not be afraid to take a new class, apply to a job, or to put [their] name out there. And don't be afraid to fail. If you fail, then you're going to succeed," says Benzschawel.

Students created new logos, priced their products and chose a CEO for their businesses.

Mini Business World also helps students understand how local businesses are successful.

Micaiah Mountjoy is a senior at Rhinelander High School. He says he appreciates what the program has taught him about his own community.

"For a small business to succeed in Rhinelander, it's really a community effort. The community has to come in and they have to place their values."Are they going to help out the community and keep the money local? Or are they going to buy a lot of products for a big name company?," says Mountjoy.

Students also studied the Wisconsin economy and how a new business in the state would survive.

The Mini Business World offers a summer program as well. Some of the companies were marketing a body wash, shoes and a fitness club.